I am a bad vegan. In all of my time in London, I have never made the effort to drag my ample frame to Manna in Primrose Hill.
What? You don’t know what Manna is?! It’s a good thing my friend Julie Hamill took a recent excursion to this world-famous vegan restaurant and has dropped by to tell you all about it. You would have been waiting an awfully-long time if you were depending on me getting there.
Visit Julie online to read some of here fabulous Morrissey-related interviews and of course follow her on Twitter where she runs the weekly MozArmy quiz… that’s right, a weekly Twitter quiz about Morrissey.
The London Vegan Potluck stormed back into the capital this week and the food was on another level of awesome. New vegan dessert champions Pudology were on board as sponsors to add to the enjoyment.
Because I was too busy eating on the night, my dear friend Cookie Von Stir has kindly dropped in to show you what you missed.
There is one thing I have discovered during my chubby, queer life. If we do not shop at (and support) independent vegan businesses, they will disappear.
Business life is tough enough for small businesses and even harder for the vegan variety. You have got to be extra resilient when you are cruelty-free. You sell to a niche market (admittedly getting larger) and you often have all sorts of accusations and prejudices fired your way, some sadly even from within the vegan community.
One of the true champions of the do-it-yourself vegan scene is the decadently-delicious Ms. Cupcake of Brixton. This one-of-a-kind compassionate bakery pumps out glorious sugary treats and has gotten to the point where it is today through the sheer grit, determination and ferocious hard work of founder/owner/Chief Cupcaker Mellissa Morgan.
Ms Cupcake during the grand opening of the Brixton bakery
In just a few years, Mellissa has moved from humble beginnings selling her homemade wares at London markets to owning her own bakery that employs multiple staff members. Mellissa is a huge contributor to local animal charities and her surrounding communtiy. She has time and time again proven herself as an award-winning business person and highly-decorated baker.
But like every hardworking, independent business owner, Mellissa sometimes needs the help of her supporters and the broader community to get over hurdles as they present themselves. Namely financial hurdles.
The next stage in development for the Ms. Cupcake bakery is to offer frozen goods such as pre-packaged vegan ice cream, cheesecakes and their own frozen creations. The problem with frozen food however is that is requires a freezer to be stored in…. and there isn’t a freezer in Ms. Cupcake.
This is where you come in.
Ms. Cupcake is taking the fan-funded route to raise enough money to make the much-needed purchase. Mellissa is asking for donations from supporters in order to get her freezer and is even offering incentives to people willing to help out.
For a £5 donation you get a kiss from Ms. Cupcake herself. £10 will get you a cupcake and a kiss. Or you could splash out and show your commitment to helping small business with a £50 donation and be rewarded with a kiss, a cupcake, a tub of vegan ice cream AND a £10 voucher to spend at the shop!
Get behind this fundraising drive if you want to support a local business and help keep them away from nasty bank loans. Get behind it if you want to help a vegan business grow. Get behind it if you want to help Mellissa to be able to keep employing a large number of staff. In the long run, your donation will ultimately help Mellissa carry on with all of her charitable and community interactions that she is loved for.
And finally…. get behind this campaign if the thought of cupcakes topped with ice cream makes you do a happy dance.
Isn’t the word ‘flapjack’ a bizarre thing? Where on Earth does it come from? I would love to know the etymology of the word flapjack. Answers on the back of a Morrissey postcard, please.
While I sit back and wait for the mountains of mail adorned with pictures of the Mancunian poet, I might as well inform you of a delicious vegan flapjack I discovered on a recent food expedition.
This guest post was written by Rachel Cousins from hungryhouse, the UK’s leading online takeaway platform that features restaurants across the country including Glasgow, Birmingham and Nottingham. I’ve used this service in the past to order from the vegan menu at The Grove Cafe in Leeds.
Rachel gives a fantastic overview of the recent Vegan & Vegetarian Summer Festival in Berlin. It sounds like a lot of fun and only increases my desire to visit this city.
In some parts of the world, it can be a struggle to be a vegan.
If you are located a long distance from a major city, plant-based foods and cruelty-free supplies can be difficult to track down let alone finding a vegan social event in your neighbourhood. London spoils me for choice, but I never forget what it was like to live in smaller, less vegan-friendly locations. Heck… I was even situated (for a short period) in Rockhampton, Australia. If you care to investigate, I believe you will discover Rockhampton is considered the beef capital of Australia.
For isolated vegans, the light at the end of the lonesome tunnel often takes the form of a local vegan/veggie support group. Likeminded individuals get together to share advice, recipes, food, friendship and interests. Your local support group can often be the only time your choice to be cruelty-free is taken seriously.
There are a huge number of veggie/vegan support groups all over the UK but as Leeds is close to my heart, I would like to focus on the Northern city for a moment… specifically the Leeds Vegetarians and Vegans group.
Following on from the wildly-popular posts about airline food (one by me and one by my friend The Vegan Butcher), I put out an open call for readers to submit their own stories of vegan food served in the air.
A few people have sent in anecdotes relating to the animal-free food they have been served inflight. I have posted some below for your reading pleasure.
Please get in touch if you would like to see your food in the sky experience posted on Fat Gay Vegan. We are going to start up a nifty collection of vegan airline food stories at this rate! I especially encourage you to send photos with your reviews. Seat belt sign has been switched on. I hear the food trolley rattling down the aisle…
Pop-up Vegan Pizza Party is set to take London by storm on Saturday September 29, 2012. Be prepared for an evening of delicious dining on mouthwatering pizza, vegan cupcakes by award-winning bakery Ms. Cupcake and socialising in the centre of the vibrant and buzzing Brixton Market.
The evening will feature a huge selection of 16″ vegan masterpieces created by the talented purveyors of takeaway, Village Pizza. You will be treated to such tantalising flavours as Hickory Chicken, Spaniard and Tikka Surprise. These pizzas are huge and not to be missed if you are a serious vegan pizza lover.
But the eating won’t stop there!
Every ticket holder at the Pop-up Vegan Pizza Party will also get to choose a vegan cupcake from the glorious selection on offer in the Ms. Cupcake bakery. That’s correct… a whole lot of pizza AND a vegan cupcake of your very own.
The night will run from 8pm and the pizza will be served at specially-arranged tables inside Brixton Market. You will be enjoying your scrumptious feast as a Saturday night in the heart of Brixton comes alive all around you. Non-alcoholic refreshments will be on sale via Ms. Cupcake and there are currenty whispers of a vegan beer sponsor looking to keep revellers hydrated, too.
If a few hours of vegan pizza and cupcakes sounds like your idea of a good time, act quickly. £20 tickets (+ booking fees) to this feast are strictly limited. Click here to buy.
Are you passionate about independent music and the protection of animals? Well, you are going to love this news!
Martin Rossiteris a singer/songwriter of the highest calibre and I personally have been a huge fan of his music for more years than I can recall. He first nabbed my heart and mind as the lead singer of the glorious band Gene and it has been complete adoration ever since.
Martin Rossiter at The Garage, London September 2011
Martin has a unique voice that is capable of the most angelic, soulful croons as well as searing, rumbling growls of angst. His lyrics are intelligent and he delivers them with poise, control and a healthy dose of passion. You can tell I’m a fan, right?
It has been a long time since Martin has been a part of an official music release (Gene’s final studio album was released during 2001) so serious music fans are seriously excited by the news of an impending solo album release.
For this new record, Martin is venturing into the scary, exciting and rewarding waters of an independent release. He is using the online storefront Pledge Music to sell his songs to his audience. As of 1pm (UK time) on Tuesday August 28, 2012 anyone from anywhere in the world will be able to log on and buy all of Martin’s new material as well as a whole host of tantalising items. Goodies include sheet music for the album, t-shirts, live tracks from Martin’s first ever solo gig as well as a vinyl version of the new album.
But the news gets better still!
Martin is also an incredibly vocal supporter of non-human animals. His Twitter feed is always brimming with links supporting news, views and campaigns dedicated to improving outcomes for all creatures. Martin is taking this commitment to animals a step further by donating a portion of funds raised through his Pledge Music venture to the wonderful organisation known as League Against Cruel Sports.
Go to the album launch page on Facebookand RSVP. Visit Pledge Music this Tuesday and buy the album (and some other treats). Then sit back, relax and enjoy your fabulous new musical purchases safe in the knowledge you have just supported a world-class entertainer AND contributed financially to the wellbeing of animals.
Is this the perfect time to use the well-worn expression ‘win-win’? Indeed.
Do you remember when we all joined together as one vegan superpower and got Holland & Barrett to reverse their decision to not stock the Fry’s Vegetarian frozen vegan product range?
Fry’s Vegetarian original vegan burger
Well, we are about to flex our collective plant-based consumer muscle once again to ensure the same vegan food options are available all over the UK… in Sainsbury’s!
What is this campaign all about?
Consumers choose foods free of animal products for many reasons. Scientific evidence suggests the production of plant-based food contributes significantly less to environmental damage and climate change than animal farming.
Many religions require devotees to adhere to meat and dairy free diets during certain celebrations. People often choose a diet free of animal products for ethical reasons as they don’t agree with modern factory farming methods. Health is another major factor. A plant-based diet is completely free from cholesterol.
With plant-based food choices becoming increasingly popular amongst UK consumers, it is time for major food suppliers such as Sainsbury’s to answer this call for more vegan choices in their aisles. Brands such as Quorn and Linda McCartney have monopolised veggie shelves in UK supermarkets but very few of their items cater to people who want animal-free food. Quorn and Cauldron have the biggest presence of any veggie brands in the UK. The trouble is, they are the same company and clearly have little interest in serving the vegan community. Most of their products are not animal-free and those that are, are not even labeled suitable for vegans.
We don’t want egg in our food. We want burgers, pops, pies, schnitzels, sausages, sausage rolls, chunky strips and everything else made by Fry’s Vegetarian because it is all vegan!
Fry’s Vegetarian traditional vegan sausages
What can you do?
Click here to sign the petition to urge Sainsbury’s to carry vegan food by Fry’s. The petition will be sent to Sainsbury’s on your behalf.
Add extra steam to the campaign by emailing the following Sainsbury’s contacts to strengthen your request:
sarah.lich@sainsburys.co.uk Category Product Developer
alison.atkin@sainsburys.co.uk Buyer
richard.hall@sainsburys.co.uk Head of Frozen
andy.phelps@Sainsburys.co.uk Category Manager
Post a link to this page everywhere. Facebook. Twitter. Pinterest. Google+. Tumblr. Post it on message boards and your own blogs. Email it to family and friends and enemies. Get everyone you know to take one minute out of their day to sign the petition. Use any part of the text on this page in any way you see fit.
Leave a comment below letting us know if you have emailed/signed the petition/heard back from Sainsbury’s. Like all big businesses, they are not going to take notice unless we have big voices.
